Credit unions were represented Friday at a roundtable hosted by the U.S. Department of Treasury on addressing barriers in financial services for justice-impacted individuals. America’s Credit Unions’ Samira Salem and Clement Abonyi attended, in addition to several credit unions.
The event—hosted by CNN commentator and former South Carolina state Rep. Bakari Sellers—featured discussions on expanding access to financial services to the underserved and justice-impacted individuals.
The Treasury defines justice-impacted individuals as those who have been subject to criminal justice-related interventions, such as parole, probation, or incarceration. The department notes these individuals often encounter significant barriers when attempting access financial services and are twice as likely as the general population to be unbanked or underbanked.
The event also featured remarks from government officials including NCUA Chairman Todd Harper and CFPB Director Rohit Chopra.
America’s Credit Unions supports policies and efforts to increase financial access to historically underserved communities, including its recent support of NCUA’s proposed rule implementing the Fair Hiring in Banking Act.
